Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04: Free CMS

This tutorial will guide you through the process to Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04. ProcessWire is a powerful, free, and open-source content management framework (CMF) and content management system (CMS). Its clean and structured backend makes it easy to operate, providing you with the freedom you need to design your website exactly as you envision it. While it might not be as widely recognized as giants like WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, or TYPO3, ProcessWire’s streamlined architecture and flexible approach offer distinct advantages over its larger counterparts.

You can follow the step-by-step instructions provided on the Orcacore website to begin your ProcessWire CMS setup on Ubuntu 22.04. This guide assumes you have a basic understanding of server administration.

Before you begin, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• A server running Ubuntu 22.04: You should be logged in as a non-root user with sudo privileges and have a basic firewall configured. Follow our guide on Initial Server Setup with Ubuntu 22.04 for assistance.
• A LAMP Stack installed: Your server needs to have Apache, MySQL (or MariaDB), and PHP installed and configured. Refer to our guide on How To Install LAMP Stack on Ubuntu 22.04 if you haven’t already done so.
• A domain name: You’ll need a domain name that is pointed to your server’s IP address.

Once you’ve met these requirements, proceed with the steps below to Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04.

1. Install Required Packages For ProcessWire

ProcessWire relies on several PHP extensions and other packages to function correctly. Install these by running the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install libapache2-mod-php php-common php-mysql php-xml php-xmlrpc php-curl php-gd php-imagick php-cli php-dev php-imap php-mbstring php-opcache php-soap php-zip php-intl unzip wget curl -y

This command installs all the necessary PHP modules and utilities, including those for database interaction, XML processing, image manipulation, and more. The -y flag automatically confirms the installation of the packages.

2. Set up ProcessWire Database User on Ubuntu 22.04

Next, you need to create a dedicated database and user for ProcessWire within your MariaDB server. Log in to the MariaDB shell as the root user:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter the root password when prompted. Once inside the MariaDB shell, execute the following commands to create the database, user, and grant privileges:

MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE DATABASE processdb;
MariaDB [(none)]> CREATE USER 'processuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
MariaDB [(none)]> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON processdb.* TO 'processuser'@'localhost';
MariaDB [(none)]> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
MariaDB [(none)]> Exit;

Important: Replace processdb, processuser, and password with your desired database name, username, and a strong, secure password, respectively.

3. Download ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04

Now, download the latest version of ProcessWire CMS. Visit the ProcessWire CMS Downloads page or use the wget command to download the latest version from the GitHub repository:

sudo wget https://github.com/processwire/processwire/archive/master.zip

After downloading, extract the archive:

sudo unzip master.zip

Then, move the extracted directory to your Apache web root directory:

sudo mv processwire-master/ /var/www/html/processwire

Finally, set the correct permissions and ownership for the ProcessWire directory:

sudo chown www-data:www-data -R /var/www/html/processwire/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/processwire/

These commands ensure that the Apache web server has the necessary permissions to read and write files within the ProcessWire directory.

4. Configure Apache Virtual Host For ProcessWire CMS

To make ProcessWire accessible through your domain name, you need to create an Apache virtual host configuration file. Create a new configuration file using your favorite text editor (e.g., vi, nano):

sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites-available/processwire.conf

Add the following content to the file, replacing example.com with your actual domain name:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/processwire
    ServerName example.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/processwire/>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save and close the file. Next, enable the virtual host and the Apache rewrite module:

sudo a2ensite processwire.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite

Finally, restart the Apache web server to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

5. Access ProcessWire Web Interface

Now that everything is configured, you can access the ProcessWire installation process through your web browser. Open your browser and navigate to your domain name:

http://example.com

You should be redirected to the ProcessWire Welcome page. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. This includes:

1. Click Get Started.

   

2. Select the Blank profile and click Continue.

   

3. On the Compatibility Check page, click Continue to Next Step.

   

4. Enter your database details (hostname, database name, username, and password) and Timezone, then click Continue.

   

   

   

5. Define your admin username, password, and other settings, then click Continue.

   

6. Click on Login To Admin.

   

7. Provide your admin username and password in the ProcessWire Login screen, then click Login.

   

8. Finally, you should see the ProcessWire default dashboard.

   

You can now use the ProcessWire Dashboard to publish content on the web. For more information, visit the ProcessWire Documentation page.

Alternative Solutions to Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04

While the above method is a standard approach, here are two alternative methods to Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04:

1. Using Docker Compose:

Docker Compose allows you to define and manage multi-container Docker applications. This approach encapsulates ProcessWire and its dependencies (like the web server and database) into separate containers, making the installation process more isolated, repeatable, and easier to manage.

Explanation:

• A docker-compose.yml file defines the services needed (ProcessWire, database, web server).
• Docker pulls the necessary images (e.g., ProcessWire, MariaDB, Apache) from Docker Hub.
• Docker Compose creates and links the containers, handling networking and dependencies.

Code Example (docker-compose.yml):

version: "3.8"
services:
  db:
    image: mariadb:10.6
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: your_root_password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: processdb
      MYSQL_USER: processuser
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

  web:
    image: php:8.1-apache
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    volumes:
      - ./processwire:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - db
    environment:
      DATABASE_HOST: db
      DATABASE_NAME: processdb
      DATABASE_USER: processuser
      DATABASE_PASSWORD: password
      PROCESSWIRE_HTTP_HOST: example.com # Replace with your domain

volumes:
  db_data:

Steps:

1. Install Docker and Docker Compose on your Ubuntu 22.04 server.
2. Create a directory for your ProcessWire project.
3. Create a docker-compose.yml file within that directory and paste the above content. Remember to replace the placeholder values with your actual credentials.
4. Download ProcessWire and extract it to a directory named ‘processwire’ in the same directory as the docker-compose.yml.
5. Run docker-compose up -d in the project directory. This will download the necessary images, create the containers, and start ProcessWire.

You can then access ProcessWire via your browser at http://example.com.

2. Using a Pre-built ProcessWire Docker Image:

Instead of building your own Docker image from scratch, you can utilize a pre-built Docker image specifically designed for ProcessWire. This simplifies the setup process significantly.

Explanation:

• Leverages existing, optimized Docker images for ProcessWire.
• Reduces the need for manual configuration of the web server and PHP.

Code Example (docker-compose.yml):

version: "3.8"
services:
  processwire:
    image: bitnami/processwire:latest # Example image, research reputable ones
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443" #Optional for HTTPS
    environment:
      PROCESSWIRE_DATABASE_HOST: db
      PROCESSWIRE_DATABASE_PORT: 3306
      PROCESSWIRE_DATABASE_NAME: processdb
      PROCESSWIRE_DATABASE_USER: processuser
      PROCESSWIRE_DATABASE_PASSWORD: password
      PROCESSWIRE_USERNAME: admin
      PROCESSWIRE_PASSWORD: your_admin_password
      PROCESSWIRE_EMAIL: admin@example.com # Replace with your email
      PROCESSWIRE_HTTP_HOST: example.com # Replace with your domain
    depends_on:
      - db
    volumes:
      - processwire_data:/bitnami/processwire

  db:
    image: mariadb:10.6
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: your_root_password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: processdb
      MYSQL_USER: processuser
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  processwire_data:
  db_data:

Steps:

1. Install Docker and Docker Compose on your Ubuntu 22.04 server.
2. Create a directory for your ProcessWire project.
3. Create a docker-compose.yml file within that directory and paste the above content.
4. Modify the environment variables to match your desired configuration, including database credentials, admin username, and password, and your domain name. Replace bitnami/processwire:latest with a specific tag for stability. Research reputable Docker images before using them.
5. Run docker-compose up -d in the project directory.

You can then access ProcessWire via your browser at http://example.com.

Conclusion

You’ve now learned how to Install ProcessWire CMS on Ubuntu 22.04 using both a manual method and two alternative Docker-based approaches. The Docker methods offer increased portability and isolation, making them suitable for complex deployments. Choose the method that best aligns with your technical expertise and project requirements. The flexibility and power of ProcessWire, combined with a solid installation, will allow you to create sophisticated and engaging websites. Remember to consult the ProcessWire documentation for advanced customization and development techniques.